Luten's Lullaby
by ScarletQuill33
Summary: Reaction to The Tale of Iroh. Iroh lulls his son to sleep.


This is a fanfic in respones to "The Tale of Iroh" in last night's episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Iroh lulls his baby boy to sleep...

Disclaimer: I do not own "Avatar: The Last Airbender", but I do own the OC, Prince Aidou.

Iroh awoke in the middle of the night to the crying of his baby boy... 

"..My Lord..." his wife said sleepily, getting up to go to their son, but Iroh stopped her.

"No, my dear. I'll go to him. You rest." Iroh smiled as she lay down. Sighing, the Heir of the Fire Nation stood from the bed, walking out and down the hall to the nursery.

In the crib lay a boy with a small orange blanket, crying. His little fuzz of black hair was cute on his pale head.

"There there, Luten. You have quite the voice, don't you. You get that from your uncle, I think." Iroh smiled, picking the boy up and sitting in the chair next to the crib.

"Now, how to calm you?" Iroh thought outloud. A few seconds passed before he came up with something.

"How about a song your grandmother used to sing, hmm?" Iroh asked his crying son before slowly rocking him...

_Leaves from the vines __  
__Falling so slowly __  
__Like fragile tiny shells __  
__Drifting in the pond __  
__Little soldier boy, come marching home __  
__Brave soldier boy, come marching home_

Soon, Luten's shrill cry began to die down untill he softly cooed in his sleep. Iroh smiled as he stayed for a couple more minutes before placing his son back in his crib, kissing his forehead.

After that, the song had become Luten's favorite Lullaby... 

-------------------- 

The siege was going nowhere, Iroh was convinced of it. For Five-Hundred and Ninety-Nine days the siege had dragged on.

"Father, we could consider another option.." Luten said.

"Like what, son?" Iroh asked him.

"Well, Prince Aidou sent a message, demanding single combat for Ba Sing Se." Luten began, but Iroh interupted.

"No Luten." Iroh said. The boy was right, but there was much of a difference between Prince Aidou and the General who surrendered at the Outer Wall. Prince Aidou was no soldier, he was a cold blooded murderer. Likely to kill his own men as well as theirs.

"But father, we could end this siege in one fire blast. I only need your aproval." Luten begged.

"Son...If I lost you, I'd never forgive myself." Iroh said, putting a hand on his son's shoulder.

Luten looked at his father and smilled, putting his own hand on his father's shoulder, "You won't."

The next morning was a disaster...

The two Princes met in the farmlands outside the Inner Wall. While Luten wore his Fire Nation armor, Aidou came out in a leather jerkin and dusty brown pants and brown boots, a longsword at his hip. 

_Excellent form!_ Iroh thought as Luten went into a standard to let loose a blast of Fire.

Aidou unsheathed his sword looking over Luten.

The Fire Prince unleashed a fire kick at the Earth Prince, whom rolled out of the way and came in with his sword, which Luten blocked with his armguard, shooting another blast that singed Aidou's jerkin, but not much.

Aidou moved back out and then in, aiming to decapitate Luten. The Fire Prince ducked the swing, aiming a blast of blue fire at Aidou's feet, whom jumped over it.

"In and out, Luten!" Iroh shouted. The boy must have heard as he back off, only to go in with another large blast, sending the Earth Prince to a knee.

_It's over_ Iroh thought. But something went wrong. As Luten was ready to deal the finally blow, something slipped out of Aidou's right sleeve and into his hand. The Earth Prince lunged up, burrying the small dagger into the vulnerable underarm in Luten's armor, just above the heart, promising no quick death.

IRoh yelled as he ran towards his sons falling body. Aidou be damned! He would not let his son die!

The Earth Prince backed away as Iroh caught his son, blood comming from his mouth. "I...I guess I was wrong..." Luten smiled to his father.

"It's ok Luten. You're safe. You're going to live..." Iroh said. But something in the back of his mind said different..

Luten cringed in pain for a second before he began to say quietly... 

_"Leaves from the vines.."_

Iroh remembered this. The song Luten loved as a baby. He added his voice to his sons..

_"Falling so slowly"_

The father and son continued the song together...

_"Like fragile tiny shells __  
__Drifting in the pond __  
__Little soldier boy, come marching home"_

Iroh looked down with tearful eyes at the empty, lifeliss eyes of his son. Letting out another cry of sadness as he sung...

_"Brave soldier boy, come marching home..."_

**_Iroh and Luten... for worlds cannot seperate the bond of Father and Son..._**

END 

Well, I know I cried writing this? Anyone cry as I wrote it?


End file.
